Butt -hinge



J. S. SMITH. ADJUSTABLE SPRING BUTT HINGE.

No. 17,354. Patented May 19 1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. SMITH, OF NEW. YORK, N. Y.

SPRING-HINGE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,354, dated May 19, 1857; Reissued August 6,

To all "whom it on concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH SHERBOURNIC SMITH, of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful and adjustable spring butt-hinge for hinging and opening and shutting gates, doors, windows, blinds, desks, cases, trunks, and chests, or whenever desired for acting as a perfect hinge on anything independently of the spring; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, exact, and true description of the construction and operation of the same, and that by reference to'the annexed drawings the specification is finished, in which figures refer to the perspective sections of the drawings and letters to the parts thereof.

Figure 1 is a view of the center pin of the hinge and screw pin at the head; Fig. 2 is a view of straight, triple and round wire springs; Fig. 3 is a view of a number of thin springs clasped or riveted together; Fig. at is a view of a single spiral spring; Fig. 5 is a view of four spiral springs; Fig. 6 is a view of a triangular instrument for winding up the center pin to obtain whatever power may be required in the spring; Fig. 7 is a view of one side and one end of the hinge; Fig. 8 is a view of one side and one end of the hinge; Fig. 9 is a view of the center pin and screw pin, which is made to use a thumb key; Fig. 10 is a view of a thumb key for the screw pin; Fig. 11 is a view of a nut or female screw to screw on the center pin or male screw; Fig. 12 is a view of all the parts of the hinge put together; Fig. 13 is a view of the inside of one end of the middle joint of the hinge;

Fig. 14 is a view of a triple wire tripled;

Fig. 15 is a view of the middle joint of the hinge as put together; Fig. 16 is a view of the head of the center pin, which is made to fit .very close when the spring is required to act on the hinge; or otherwise the center pin is raised up by the female screw, which is secured by a pin and groove, and turned right or left to produce the desired effect.

At letter A, Fig. 1, the head of the center pin is made round, and above letter A, triangular, quadrangular, seXangular, and

octangular, and sometimes smooth, and a screw pin through one angle of the angles.

At letter B, Fig. 1, below the head of the center pin, the shaft is made square one inch, or a sufiicient length to pass through the cap of the springs, and then the shaft is made round to the male screw at the end.

At letter C, Figs. 2, 8, A and 5, the springs are riveted to a plate or ring, through the centers of which the center pin passes.

At letter D, Figs. 2, 3, t and 5, the upper ends of the springs are riveted to a plate, cap or collar, through the center of which the center pin passes, the cap of the springs fitting close to the square of the center pin, and when the center pin is turned right or left, the springs are turned right or left, and act accordingly as desired with little or much power.

At letter E, Fig. 6, the instrument for winding up the center pin to obtain whatever power may be required in the spring, is made to fit the several forms of the head of the center pin.

At letter F, Fig. 3, a number of thin springs of any required width are clasped and riveted together.

At letter G, Fig. 4, the spring is made of a single round wire.

At letter H, Fig. 5, are four springs which should be made of triple wire tripled, whether of copper, brass, or iron, but tempered springs are the best.

At letter I, Fig. 10, the thumb key is made to fit the screw pin, which holds in the spring any desired power.

At letter J, Fig. 7, small screws or pins are used to make the plates or rings to which the springs are riveted.

At letter C, fast to the inside of that end of the knuckle of the hinge; or otherwise two cuts or circles are made in the plates or rings of the springs, which are then put in at that end of the knuckle of the hinge.

At letter K, Fig. 7, the double lapped joints at the middle of the hinge are made long enough to make 'a perfect and durable joint, which is a very important improvement over all other joints of hinges.

At letter L, Fig. 7, the spring is put inside of one end of the hinge, and the cap at letter D, on the spring, which has a bearing on the inside of the spring, when a single spring is used, but when two or more springs are used, the caps are made smooth on both sides.

At letter M, Fig. 8, a ring or plate is made and put in. or cast in the inside of that end of the knuckle of the hinge, and a hole in the center large enough for the square of the center pin to turn in. When the spring is required to be passive, and around that a number or circle of small holes are made, in which the screw pin, at letter S, Figs. 1, 9, and 12 is screwed, when the spring is required to act in opening and shutting doors; and as the head of the center pin fills up the space above the circle of holes, the head. of the center pin and screw pin together, very perfectly governs the action of the springs.

At letter N, Fig. 16,- the head of the center pin is made tapering, and sometimes fluted, and when screwed into a socket of that shape by the female screw, the spring acts as desired, and when the center pin is raised up by the female screw, the spring is passive as before described in the drawings of the caveat.

At letter 0, Figs. 7 8, and 12, screw holes are made for screwing on the hinge.

At letter P, Figs'l and 9, the male screw is made on the end of the center pin, and on which the female screw at Fig. 11 is screwed, when the hinge is put together, and fills up that end of the hinge to the plate or ring, which is cast or put in at letter J, Fig. 7, or fills up to the plate or ring to which the springs are riveted.

At letter Q, Fig. 11, a triangle is made on the female screw, to screw it on to the male screw of the center pin.

At letter B, Fig. 11, a female screw hole is made to fit on the male screw of the center pin at letter P, Figs. 1 and 9.

At letter S, Figs. 1, 9 and 12, the screw pin which is made to use a thumb key, shows a perfect and beautiful finish of the head of the center pin, as seen at letter A, Fig. 12.

At letter T, Fig. 13, the inside View of the double lapped joint, and tubular form of the knuckle is seen, in which one or any number of springs are used.

At letter U, Fig. 15, a double lapped oint is seen as it is put together, at letter V Fig. 12.

At letter V, Fig. 16, the head of the center pin is made to use the instrument at Fig. 6, and a screwdriver or some equivalent instrument to the female screw at the other end of the center pin. 1

At letter X, Figs. 1 and 9, the end of the screw pin is seen which fits in the circle of holes around the center pin, when the hinge is put together.

At letter Y, Fig. 2, the spring is made of a straight, round wire. At letter Z, Fig; 14, is seen the triple wire tripled, for straight *and spiral springs, which are very strong and more durable than any other form of wire when protected from moisture in the tube or knuckle of the hinge.

The use of my invention is to open or shut gates, doors, windows, blinds, desks, cases, trunks and chests, as I have before described. All of the doors of any house, by the use of my hinge, can be fixed in as many minutes of time as there are doors in the house, to shut without slamming, or with as much power as may be desired; or otherwise the doors, by the use of my hinge, can be made to open in the same length of time, and stay open at any desired width. The use of my hinge on furniture is to hold up the lid in any desired position or width,

without propping or holding it with strings or tape. The use of my hinge on gates, is to open or shut them without the absurdity of ropes, chains, and balls. The use of my hinge in cold weather is to save more than their expense in wood and coal, and in warm weather to insure a healthy circulation of air through the rooms. And finally, the use of my hinge is a beautiful article for the purpose described.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent The use of the center pin, screw pin and capped springs, constructed, secured and operated within the tubular knuckle, having a double lapped joint, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

JOSEPH SHERBOURNE SMITH.

WVitnesses:

GEO. F. TURNER, J. T. SPEAK.

' [FIRST PRlNTFD 1912.] 

